Category: Team Systems

Perfect Backcheck and Angling in Action This is a quick clip that shows a perfect backcheck with excellent angling, executed by Team Canada's Jeff Carter in the 2014 Winter Olympics. In the clip we see a principle I teach my kids even as young as U6 and U8; that is the tactic of "Stick on Stick, Shoulder on Shoulder." Thinking about backchecking in these terms helps kids comprehend taking away the skating lane. Combine this tactic with our 5-Card approach to backchecking, and it'll be much more difficult for the opponent to create offensive opportunities. Here's a link to our 5-Card Backchecking video Enjoy!

How to Execute a Proper 2-1-2 Stack Forecheck In the past we've talked quite a bit about the 2-1-2 forecheck. There are various ways of performing it, but the two main ones we tend to see are the "spread" and the "stack." 2-1-2 "Stack" Explained Executing the 2-1-2 stack is quite simple, and can be broken down into 3 key steps: F1 hits and pins F2 picks up the puck F3 reads and reacts, providing mid-depth support See our chalk-talk video on the 2-1-2 Forecheck here: 2-1-2 Stack & Spread Explanation 2-1-2 "Stack" Details The key to an effective 2-1-2 "Stack" is for F1 (the first forward on the attack) come in aggressive. If F1 is lazy getting in, the play won't work. F2 must also get in hard to…

USA Hockey's New Icing Rule, and How it Affects your Penalty Kill A few days ago I did a post about USA Hockey's new icing rule, and what effect it would have on your team's power play. I recommend you check it out before moving forward with this post. You can check it out here >> This post is the promised follow-up. The Rule Change The new icing rule aims to force more puck control and skill plays from the shorthanded team, rather than just being able to dump the puck, which is a less-skilled play. Here's a quote from USA Hockey's site: USA Hockey has modified its playing rules for the 14-and-Under age classification and all younger age classifications (youth and girls) to no longer legalize icing while a…

USA Hockey's New Icing Rule, and How it Affects your Power Play The online hockey world is buzzing with USA Hockey's new icing rule, announced last week, which eliminates icing while a team is on the penalty kill. This is the first of two posts that will outline what I feel are the "key game changers" that coaches should be mindful of as they prepare for the 2017/18 season. In this post we will address the Power Play, and in a couple of days we will hit the Penalty Kill. UPDATE: You Can Check Out the Penalty Kill Post Here >> Let's Start with the Rule Change Itself Here's a summary of the rule change, taken from the USA Hockey website: USA Hockey has modified its playing rules for the…

Do Systems Rob from Skill Development? Sample Article from Hockey Development Magazine - Click Here to Download the App I was watching a conversation take place in my Facebook feed a few weeks ago. The topic centered around whether Mites should be taught "systems hockey." It all started with a coach who posted that every coach in the USA needs to get on board with the ADM: So people began going back and forth on this a bit, some coaches expressing their opinions more politely than others. Then one coach said something to the effect that ADM is garbage, and that the kids don't learn systems under ADM. His comment garnered a reply from this coach: Notice he says "positioning is a garbage concept" and that "skills dominate today's game." These…